WHAT DO EVALUATIONS OF D.A.R.E.® INDICATE?
Evaluations of D.A.R.E.® in Los Angeles have yielded encouraging results. One recent evaluation assessing the impact of D.A.R.E.® on the knowledge, attitudes, and behavior of seventh grade students who had received the full semester D.A.R.E.® curriculum during the sixth grade, revealed that, compared to a control group, students who had D.A.R.E.® training reported significantly lower use of alcohol, cigarettes, and other drugs since graduating from sixth grade. A second evaluation revealed great enthusiasm for the program among principals and teachers and a wide-spread conviction that it has been successful in making students less accepting of substance abuse and better prepared to deal with peer pressure.
